“We are becomming sick of waiting for our MP's to act decisively so well done to Mr Fisher. I am only disappointed that it has taken him 12 months to write to Mr Balls and Mr Knight. All 3 Mp's should be stalking the paths of their ministerial collegues and insisting that the government throw out Mr Meredith's plan. At the council meeting last week I was unable to keep quiet in the public gallery when Mr Meredith was stating facts that were plainly untrue. I have since appologised to him for my outburst I eagerly await his appology for misleading the council members. I fear I may wait for some time!!”

“Well done Mark Fisher. There are certain high-ranking individuals in this Council who long ago ceased to care about quality of education and Building Schools for the Future has become solely about money. I find that completely unacceptable and I welcome the involvement of our local MPs in trying to prevent this shambolic proposal from being pushed through.”

“Cllrs and inparticular MPs only get involved in issues for their area, which is Why Joan Whalley will Support keeping Haywood Open and Mark Fisher will support Trentham. As Haywood has now been withdrawn I doubt Joan Whalley will now oppose SERCO.”

“What does the article mean "If you took out the councillors who are paid, the vote would have been different."

Paid by who?”

“When are the other two MP's going to come out and give the city their opinions of what is going on. Will Jim Knight take any notice..... he hasn't so far! Are the local school campaigns losing the battle? We are blogging at pitsnpots on this issue right now. Link straight back to this article, See you there!”

“Well said Mark Fisher.
It's time Rob Flello and Joan Whalley came off the fence and nailed their colours to the mast.”

“Jim Knight and Ed Balls have repeatedly said that central government cannot intervene in this issue as it is a local government decision...unless of course they can intervene if they don't agree with the plans which they did the last time BSF plans were put forward by our Council and Serco were installed..oh and Ed Balls had his say last week when Edensor teachers were going on their Marbella trip. What will it take to make this government sit up and listen to those affected by Serco's proposals, I don't know the answer to that but the local MP's doing their best to persuade the government to do something can't hurt. Somebody needs to curb our power mad Mayor and his special friend Mr Ibbs (I wonder if Meredith and the general populous have realised yet that Ibbs is gunning for the top job should a Leader option be favoured in the upcoming referendum?) before education in this city is decimated. Picture the scene 10 years from now...Meredith will be elsewhere still trying to prove that he is a somebody but proving otherwise, Ibbs will be...well who cares frankly but it won't be Trentham...and Ged Rowney will be enjoying his comfortable retirement blissfully not bothered about the legacy he has left behind in SOT...meanwhile some of us will have left the city we love for the sake of our kids future, Blurton academy will be half empty and the Council's education Dept will desperately be trying to accomodate the kids whose very existence Serco refuse to acknowledge by shoehorning them into schools that they don't want to attend due to the pitiful standards...but at least the buildings will look nice. Education education education...disaster disaster disaster!”

“I am so very pleased with Mark Fisher MP for making these very valid points. Isn't it great to have someone in this position willing to speak out for families in Stoke-on-Trent.

It's all very well for Stoke-on-Trent MPs to be 'working away in the background' and to be fair all MPS have put alternative proposals to the council, but I agree with Warren, I would like to see them follow Mark Fisher's admirable lead and make a public stand on this. I have written to schools ministers Ed Balls and Jim Knight and got absolutely nowhere, but then I'm a mere nobody parent, I hope Mark Fisher has more success.

Councillors showed willingness to compromise with SERCO if a more rational route could be taken with regard to BSF and good amendments were suggested, but these were rejected by the very close vote to which Mark Fisher refers.

June, your interest in Stoke-on-Trent is most welcome. Whilst I find some BNP policies totally unacceptable, I would like to point out that they have some well thought out views on education in this city and are supportive of communities in this respect. Much more so than mayor Meredith's lot in my view. So I would take a more balanced viewpoint in relation to the schools issue.

Political views I may hold (if any!) are mine alone and are not necessarily representative of any group I may be a member of.”

“At last someone is listening and taking our message back with a firm voice. What i should say is 'other MP's have been working away in the background" We thanks you for making a vocal and public stand. What was quite ironic at the meeting on Thursday is when Mark Merridith indicated to the people of the Labour party how to vote, this was done with a thumbs down. How can that be democracy in Stoke? How many things have been voted on in such a corrupt way in the past.
The stand we were making on thursday was for every child in Stoke on Trent "Every child matter" new buildings don't. Invest in the classrooms and resources not the bricks and mortar.”

“Wise words from Mr. Fisher, he his at least doing his job, representing the voters in Skote on Trent, the other two sitting MPs sould do the same on this subject, and more then lickyl will now.”